Molten metal stirring device with clamping means

ABSTRACT

In a molten metal stirring device comprising molten metal receptacle and an impeller supported on a frame moving up and down along a lifting guide by means of a rotating shaft, improvements that a clamping means having a movable portion contactable to the frame guide is attached to the frame.

United States Patent 1191 Seki MOLTEN METAL STIRRING DEVICE WITH CLAMPING MEANS [75] Inventor: Masahiko Seki, Kitakyushu, Japan [73] Assignee: Nippon Steel Corporation, Tokyo,

Japan 221 Filed: Dec. 18, 1972 211 App]. No.: 316,018

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 21. 1971 Japan 46-120948 [52] US. Cl .L 266/34 A [51] Int. Cl. C210 7/00 [58] Field of Search 266/34 R, 34 A, 34 T Mar. 26, 1974 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,664,826 5/1972 Kraemer et al. 266/34 A Primary Examiner-Gerald A. Dost Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Totem, McGeady and Stanger [5 7] ABSTRACT 3.Claims, 5 Drawing Figures yw z1 7 I I 4 E W 7 (1TH: im: g A? QM 6 PATENTEDHARZB m4 37991-323 SHEET 1 [1F 2 (PRmR Am) F I G. I

(Pmak Am) F! G. 2

PATENTED MAR 26 I974 SHEET 2 OF 2 MOLTEN METAL STIRRING DEVICE WITH CLAMPING MEANS The present invention relates to a molten metal stirring device with clamping means, and particularly relates to improvements of the clamping means.

Conventionally those as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 have hitherto been used. According to the one shown in FIG. 1, the clamping is effected by an outside fixed portion so that when the heightof the stirring device is changed the number of grooves for clamping must be increased in correspondence to the height change and it is impossible to adjust the height of the stirring device irrespective of the allowable number of the grooves.

Also according to the one shown in FIG. 2, it is possible to adjust the height of the non-stepwisely by sliding a central shaft 2 and a cone metal 3, which is clamped by a cylinder 4. This device, however, has a defect that the shaft 2 vibrates when it rotates due to the gap between the outer surface 2a and the inside wall surface 3a the opening of the cone metal so that the surfaces 2a and 3a are several worn. The gap can not be completely eliminated so far as the shaft 2 slides up and down through the cone metal.

The present invention provides an improved device free from the above defects and give satisfactory stirring function.

More particularly, the present invention provides a clamping device is a molten metal stirring device comprising a molten metal receptacle positioned at a predetermined position. an impeller supported through a rotation shaft by a frame movable along a frame guide which introduces the impeller into the receptacle, and a clamp provided on the side of the frame, said clamp having a movable portion adjacent to the frame guide.

the movable portions for clamping which are made to contact the inside surface of the lifting guide 7 by means of a cylinder, a screw, a gear or a link mechanism.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a pair of clamping devices are attached horizontally to both the upper side and the lower side of the lifting frame 7, while in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the clamping device is attached in a slanted manner to the upper side and lower side of the frame 8. The gap between the movable portion 6 and the guide metal 9 is completely and automatically absorbed in the clamping state because the portion 6 shifts to the position 6 and the surface 6a of the portion 6 contacts the inside surface 9a of the guide metal 9. Also particularly in the device shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 in which the device is attached in a slanted manner, the load A due to the vibration of the shaft rotation is imposed on the surface 7a of the lifting guide 7 and is devided into the component of force B perpendicular to the surface 7a and the component of force C parallel to the surface 7a so that only the component of force C is transferred to the driving member such as a cylinder 11 for the movable portion and thus the load on the driving member is reduced. In case when the driving member is a hydraulic or air cylinder, the fluid pressure is prevented from increasing extraordinarily so that the possibility of clamp loosening is reduced.

In a stirring device for molten metal, for example, as the rotation rate of the rotary shaft increases the vibration of the rotary shaft becomes large extraordinarily. According to the present device, such extraordinary large vibration is effectively prevented and a safe operation is attained as well as remarkable economical advantage due to reduced component members is achieved.

What is claimed is:

11. In a molten metal stirring device comprising molten metal receptacle and an impeller supported on a frame moving up and down along a lifting guide by means of a rotating shaft, improvements that a clamping means having a movable portion contractable to the frame guide is attached to the frame.

2. A device according to claim 1 in which the clamping means is attached horizontally to the frame.

3. A device according to claim 1 in which the clamping means is attached slantedly to the frame. 

1. In a molten metal stirring device comprising molten metal receptacle and an impeller supported on a frame moving up and down along a lifting guide by means of a rotating shaft, improvements that a clamping means having a movable portion contractable to the frame guide is attached to the frame.
 2. A device according to claim 1 in which the clamping means is attached horizontally to the frame.
 3. A device according to claim 1 in which the clamping means is attached slantedly to the frame. 